When planning your garden, a major consideration should be the color of your flowers. Here is a selection of popular purple flowers.
What flowers are purple: Flowers come in all colors and finding shades of your favorites shouldn’t be too difficult. Lavender is an excellent purple flower and its fragrance is a real bonus. Other common purple flowers include fuchsias, with their bright pink pairing, and allium which heralds in the spring. Many flowers are a mixture of colors, including zinnias. Often grown from seeds, you will get a mix of colors, and hopefully, at least some of them turn out to be purple. There is also much ground covering purple options, including dianthus and candytuft.
25 Flowers that are Purple
Cyclamen
A perfect indoor plant, cyclamen has delicate flowers that sprout out of a large smattering of deep green leaves. You can plant it outdoors but most gardeners like to enjoy it inside.
One of the joys of cyclamen is that it blossoms during the fall and winter. This makes it a great way to brighten up the dark hours and duller times of the year.
Honesty
If you aren’t sure what honesty is, you might recognize it as the flowers on a money plant. These tiny purple flowers are soft and lovely and make for great ground cover in your garden bed.
Honesty is a biennial plant, which means it will only bloom every two years. However, it is often grown as an annual, which means you need to re-plant it every year.
Zinnia
While zinnias come in all shades of colors, there are indeed purple varieties. However, they are mostly planted through seed packages so you may not be able to choose your preferred color.
Zinnias are annuals so you need to plant them each year. However, they grow quickly and are a great way to liven up your garden.
Monkshood
Tall and somewhat delicate looking, monkshood has lovely purple flowers although there are also varieties with blue flowers. It grows rather tall, with flowers dripping from the tall stems.
Monkshood prefers full sun but if you have too much hot sun, it will need more water and possibly more shade. However, without full sun, it can grow limp and will need stakes to prop it off.
Dianthus
Also known as pinks, these are a smaller cousin to the popular carnation flowers. Dianthus can come in many colors, including purple, and are small enough to be considered ground cover.
Dianthus plants are perennials and while they are small, you can use them for a small cut flower posey. They prefer full sun.
Morning Glory
A gorgeous vine plant, morning glory flowers can be purple, pink, or even bright blue. They are native to Mexico and prefer hot climates.
While morning glory flowers are not poisonous, their seeds are, so you should always take extra care when children are around.
Lilac
One of the first signs of spring is the buds on a lilac tree. With soft shades of purple, this is a lovely spring flower.
Lilacs grow on trees or bushes so you can choose either one depending on your space needs. There are many shades of lilacs, including red, deep purple, light purple, and white. They can be left on the tree or make for a fragrant bouquet.
Fuchsia
A hanging basket favorite, fuchsias have a gorgeous smell to them and their bright purple and pink blooms really stand out. While they are technically perennials, many climates are too cold for them and thus most gardeners treat them as annuals.
Fuchsias have a bright pink base to them with bold purple flowers and large stamens. They grow in partial to full shade.
Petunia
Another variety with a wide range of colors, petunias are often purple and are a popular annual. While they can be planted as perennials in the right circumstances, many people prefer to replant them every year.
Petunias need plenty of sun, and the more they get, the happier they will be. They bloom in the springtime and are often one of the first plants in a garden.
Verbena
The verbena flower is like a tiny bouquet. Each stem has dozens of these flowers and when the popular purple variety is mixed with other colors, it is quite the sight to behold.
Verbena requires full sun and plenty of space. While this can be a hard flower to grow, without enough care you can master this gorgeous plant.
Waxflower
Originating from Australia, waxflowers bloom in the fall and prefer hot, dry climates. It is a great, drought-tolerant plant so there is no need to worry if you forget to water.
Waxflowers have small purple petals on them and longer stems. They can make for a nice bouquet and are easy to dry.
Clematis
An intrepid climber, clematis has a lovely shade of purple that will make any wall burst with color. This vine can be clipped back every year but it is a perennial and will continue to grow back.
Clematis can end up being very large and is a perfect way to liven up a wall, support beam, or even a fence. This plant does best in full sun although there are some varieties that also do well in partial sun.
Allium
Growing alliums are incredibly simple, which is why you can often see them bringing bright colors all over your neighborhood. Simply plant allium bulbs in the fall and come springtime they will grow large and bold.
Alliums like to tower over other springtime flowers and their large ball of blossoms is incredible to see. There are different shades of purple and different sizes, so it’s nice to have a mix of them.
Lavender
Truly, lavender should be a staple in just about every garden. It is fragrant, gorgeous, and quite easy to grow.
Lavender needs full sun to grow and well-drained soil but because it is drought-tolerant, it is great if you want a more all-natural garden. Lavender should be pruned back each year so that the woody part of the plant doesn’t take over.
Candytuft
While not very popular, there’s no reason why candytuft shouldn’t be more common. The plant grows close to the ground and its blooms are a stark contrast to the bright green leaves.
Candytufts often have white flowers but you can find many varieties with purple flowers. This is a great plant for rock gardens and as ground cover.
Catmint
Not to be confused with catnip, catmint looks pretty but is not a stimulus for cats. You can plant it in your garden and not worry that your feline friends will become overly excited about it.
Catmint has tiny purple flowers on it, set against a background of gray-green leaves. It blooms in early summer and is a perennial so it will grow back year after year.
Lisianthus
While not overly popular, Lisianthus grows in warmer climates, such as the southern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is similar to a rose in that it has petals that form a circular pattern.
There are many varieties of Lisianthus, which is also known as Eustoma. Some purple varieties feature a deep shade while others are patterned with half-white petals.
Blue-Eyed Grass
While not true grass, blue-eyed grass certainly has the look and texture of something you would find in a person’s front yard. However, at the top of this grass-like plant, you fill find tiny purple flowers.
Blue-eyed grass makes for great ground cover and you can easily divide it for more coverage. It prefers moist soil and does not do well in overly hot climates.
Columbine
One of the few flowers that prefer partial shade, columbine has delicate flowers that appear to grow upside down. They hang off their stems and often hide a bright white part inside their purple petals.
Columbine is a perennial and is fairly easy to grow, which makes it a gardener’s favorite.
Bellflower
Named after their shape, bellflowers have a large bell shape to them and can be found in shades of purple, blue, and white.
Bellflowers are quite delicate looking and there are many varieties of them. While most prefer the sun, there are some that do just fine in shade.
Bee Orchid
As part of the orchid family, bee orchids are very common in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom. They get their name because it really looks as if a bee has sat down on one of the petals.
Bee orchids have a pale purple color except for the middle that has yellow and brown coloring, just like a bumblebee does.
Hollyhock
If you are looking for a real show-stopper flower, hollyhocks won’t disappoint. These towering giants are great when you want to fill in the back of a garden. They have large flowers that grow up their stems and come in a wide range of colors.
Hollyhocks prefer full sun and while they should be stable, you may need to stake them as they grow quite tall.
Gladiolus
A member of the lily family, gladiolus can produce very large stems and are great as cut flowers or in a bouquet. They can need a fair amount of space and are great for the back part of a garden bed.
Gladiolus is a perennial flower, so it will come back each year. The blossoms will often have a darker shade around the edges and a softer version on the rest of the petals.
Wild Hyacinth
Another tall flower, wild hyacinth can grow to be two to three feet tall. It is a member of the lily family and has blossoms up and down the stems.
Wild hyacinth has blossoms that are in the shape of a star and have yellow anthers that radiate from the middle. They are either a pale purple or blue color.
Hydrangea
A perennial favorite, hydrangeas love full sun and well-drained soil. They will continue to grow back year after year and can be quite large, so be sure to plan your space wisely.
While blue hydrangeas are perhaps the most common, you can indeed find purple hydrangeas. For these varieties, it is best to prune them back in the spring.
What are the most popular purple flowers?
Lavender is perhaps one of the more popular purple flowers. It grows quite easily and is drought tolerant so you don’t have to worry a lot about watering it.
Lavender does need to be pruned back each year, but this is easy to do as long as you don’t cut into the woody base. You can keep your lavender in the garden, cut it for a bouquet, or even dry it for a gorgeous scent around the house.
Another popular purple flower is hydrangeas. These gorgeous flowers are perennials and if tended well, the plants themselves can grow quite large.
Hydrangeas are another popular favorite for cut flowers. They are also easy to dry and will last for years.
If you want purple flowers that are quite tall, you can try gladiolus and hyacinths. Both are members of the lily family and produce tall stems that have numerous blooms along their sides.
Finally, one of the most popular purple flowers is the petunia. These are easy to plant and are treated like an annual.
Those itching to get an early start on their garden will love petunias as they bloom early in the spring.
Are purple flowers poisonous?
Monkshood is a purple flower that is poisonous. You should handle it with care, never bring it to your lips, and stay clear of it if you have children or pets.
The seeds of morning glories are poisonous, although the rest of the plant isn’t. While you don’t have to be as careful with them, you should still take note of their potential danger.
Conclusion
Having a burst of color in your garden is a necessity and purple makes for a gorgeous, bold choice. There are many purple flowers that range in size and growing conditions, so you can easily find a selection that will bring you joy.
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